A Relationship Worth Dying For
by Kurt Kieser
Summary: Akira and her friend Hiroki aren't going to let a little thing like a scandal involving a gambling and loan sharking ring jeopardize the much delayed merger between their two companies, unless of course a murder is involved. Hiroki's girlfriend, Izumi, might actually hold a vital clue in this case. Can Takumi solve the mystery before the murderer gets to her too?


**A Relationship Worth Dying For**

 **Chapter 1 - Facts and Figures**

The vastness of Japan's capital and most populous city, Tokyo, is so overwhelming that each of the 23 special wards that comprise its nucleus can practically be deemed their own city, especially since each is governed as such.

One such ward, Shinjuku, is regarded as Tokyo's economic hub, as a considerable number of major corporations are headquartered in this area: Olympus Corporation, Fuji Heavy Industries, Seiko Epson, Nissin Foods and McDonald's, among the many. So it's no coincidence that Okuzaki Industries, the reins of which Akira was now in the process of attaining, had also aptly chosen to situate their central office in the same locale. Akira's childhood friend, Hiroki, likewise found himself in the same enviable position at Nakajima Enterprises with the torch about to be passed on from father to son.

The two large companies had coexisted peacefully for years and had even planned on a merger that would have been mutually beneficial to both. Unfortunately, a rift had developed between the two clans when Akira and Hiroki refused to go along with the arranged marriage that their families had planned, bringing about the merger's dissolution. Yet despite the stubbornness of a select few clan members on both sides, the proposed merger was not dead in the water as some had feared, merely dormant, for the heirs apparent knew full well that their time would eventually come when they could then right this injustice.

* * *

Straddling the outskirts of East Shinjuku's infamous red-light district, Kabukicho, a large, skeletal steel frame structure had gradually been making its ascent into the heavens over the past few weeks. Currently hovering at forty stories in height, prefabricated wall panels now adorned the exterior of the lower floors while the uppermost portion still awaited its cladding. While attracting numerous onlookers on most days, Kobayashi Construction's massive tower crane, concrete mixers and other machinery were all now idle as another long work day had drawn to a close.

Upon briefly chatting with his foreman, the site manager embarked on his final inspection of the grounds before departing for the day. Three years his junior, the slender and slightly more charismatic foreman couldn't help but witness as his colleague ran across one of their workers, proceeding to harshly chastise him.

"Really laid into you that time, huh, Takayama-kun?" the foreman observed as he approached the young construction worker.

"Saito-sempai. Yeah, well, Yamamoto-san was just hounding me because I'm a little behind in paying off my debt."

"Hey, I keep telling you not to keep making those parlay bets. I swear, you seem to have the worst luck with those," he contended. "Still, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I know you're good for it. Anyway, if worse comes to worse, you can always ask your brother to front you the money."

"No, no I, I can't keep doing that," Takayama avowed. "Besides, I promised him that I was going to try and lay off of the gambling."

"Yeah? Well how's that working out for ya?"

"Not so well, obviously," he discouragingly remarked. "Still, I can't understand it. I really thought that..."

"You thought that this latest wager was going to be a sure thing?"

"Well, yeah."

"Believe me, I've heard that far more times than I can count, kid. And if there's one thing that I've learned in this racket, it's that there's no such thing as a sure thing."

"I, I guess I know that now," he dishearteningly replied.

"Hey, come on, don't worry about it so much," Saito encouragingly assured. "I'll talk to the old man and see that he gives you an extension on the loan."

"You, you will? Gee thanks, Saito-sempai. You're the best."

"Don't mention it, kid. You just make sure you make good on your end," he seemed to express in a bit more of an ominous tone. "Got it?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, of course."

"Good. So like I said… " Feeling the vibration of his cell phone, Saito excused himself as he pulled it out and proceeded to check the message on the screen. Shaking his head in frustration he could then be heard muttering under his breath, "Shoot, another freakin' deadbeat trying to make a run for it."

"Everything alright?" Takayama inquired.

After glancing down at his watch, Saito looked back over at the unpretentious young worker, deliberating momentarily before reaching into his inside jacket pocket and pulling out a thick, letter-sized envelope.

"Listen kid, I'm in kind of a hurry, so I need you to do me a favor."

"Uh, what kind of favor?"

Proceeding to hand him the envelope, Saito instructed, "Take this and give it to Kazu… er, I mean, Fujiwara-san and have her put it in the safe. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Awesome! Oh, and tell her that I may be a little late tonight and… You know what? Never mind. I'll just text her later."

"Um, okay," Takayama submitted, being very careful not to display any expression of astonishment since he knew full well that Kazumi Fujiwara was Yamato's girlfriend.

"Remember now, I'm trusting you with this," he emphasized, alluding to the envelope.

"You can count on me, sir."

"You know what? I like you, kid. Thanks again," he appreciatively replied before hurriedly running off.

Unable to resist, Takayama waited until Saito was well out of his sight before taking a quick peek inside the envelope. He was completely bowled over when he saw the number of 10,000 yen notes that were stuffed within, not to mention the fact that Saito had entrusted him with it.

Now making his way over toward the job site's trailer, where the office was housed, Takayama paused just outside the door, his hand firmly planted on the knob. Seeing as how he was now in possession of some rather juicy information, he carefully began to contemplate his approach. Composing himself, he then took a deep breath before opening the door.

"Fu…ji… wa… ra… -san!" Takayama playfully announced in a sing-songy manner upon entering the worksite's trailer. Walking up to the slightly older but very buxom receptionist, he smoothly went on to praise, "You're looking quite ravishing today. I trust your day went well?"

"Pouring the charm on a little thick, aren't we Takayama-kun?" she skeptically presumed, being quite used to the incessant harassment by several of the male workers by this point and was therefore quick to rebuff, "However, the answer is no!"

"Oh, come on. The boss man's gone home for the day, so just a quick peek," he innocently pleaded, proceeding to lean across her desk. "You owe me that much."

"I don't owe you a thing," she informed him as he proceeded to scan the contents of her desk before redirecting his glances over to her. "Look, you're not going to find anything, you know that, right?"

Brazenly now focusing intently on her rather 'substantial assets', he nonchalantly remarked, "Oh, I don't know. I think I found two things that already peak my interests. Heh, heh."

"Pervert."

"Aww, don't be like that," continuing to persist in his quest as he then came around behind her desk and opened one of the file drawers.

"Uh, what do you think you're doing?" she admonished, slamming the drawer shut, almost catching it on his fingers.

"Come on, I'm desperate!" he implored. "Just let me take one quick look at it."

"Look, even if I did have the ledger, which I don't, it's not like you can just take an eraser to it and wipe out your entire debt."

"No, but I could maybe move a decimal point over a place or two," he kiddingly stated with a grin.

Rolling her eyes, unamused at even the suggestion, Kazumi then somberly conveyed to him, "You do realize that you wouldn't even be in this mess if you'd just quit betting over your head. You just seem to keep digging yourself deeper and deeper into debt."

"Hey, I don't need to be lectured, okay? I hear it enough from my brother as it is," he annoyingly informed her. "Look, I just want to see what he's got written down in there about me and see exactly how he's been calculating the interest on my loan. I mean, I knew the rate was high but it sure seems to be accruing at a pretty alarming rate."

"Well, you've only got yourself to blame. Still, I really can't help you, so you'll just have to take it up with Yamamoto-san. And besides, he keeps that ledger locked up in the safe in his office anyway."

"But, he's not in his office right now. Right?"

"Forget it! You're not going in there. I don't have the combination to the safe anyway."

"You don't? Hmm, well that could be a problem now, couldn't it?" he declared as he pulled out the envelope, ostentatiously proceeding to slap it against the palm of his hand a few times.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, it's just that Saito-san had asked me to give you this and to have you put it in the safe." Continuing to wave the envelope in front her, he taunted, "But, if you don't know the combination…"

"Give me that!" she annoyingly insisted, snatching the envelope out of his hand. Taking a quick look inside while at the same time eyeing him with extreme skepticism, Kazumi incredulously queried, "He actually trusted you with this?"

"Guess he likes me," he said with a grin.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Kazumi sighed and finally got up from behind her desk, appearing to glance down at something by her keyboard beforehand. Proceeding to walk over to Yamamoto's office, she turned back to Takayama and steadfastly instructed, "Wait here!"

"Anything you say," he whimsically replied.

Waiting until she was inside the office, Takayama decided to play a hunch and quickly went around to the back of her desk. Pulling the keyboard drawer out, he nudged the keyboard slightly to the side exposing a small slip of paper, which had been crudely taped down. Confirming his suspicions, the slip contained various passwords and access codes, only one of which Takayama was interested in. Jotting it down on a post-it note and pocketing it, he casually then proceeded to stroll into the connecting office, curiously walking over to the window first.

"It seems to be getting darker out a lot sooner than usual, don't you think?" he nonchalantly remarked.

A startled Kazumi immediately shot up from behind her boss's desk, having been crouched over in front of the safe.

"What the hell are you doing in here? I thought I told you to wait in the next room. Are you trying to get me fired?"

"Oh come now. I seriously doubt that Yamamoto-san would fire his own girlfriend. Or, have you already told him about you and Saito-san?"

"Wha…?" she shockingly conveyed. "How, how could you possibly know about that?"

"Ahh, so it is true."

"You son-of-a-bitch! Are you blackmailing me?"

"Blackmail? Oh, now that's such an ugly word, don't you think?" he flippantly remarked. "I prefer to think of it as an exchange of favors."

"Why you…" she irritatingly began to convey under her breath. "What exactly is it that you want?"

"I already told you."

"Fine!" she exasperatingly submitted. Squatting back down and reaching into the safe, Kazumi pulled out a hardbound, eight and half by eleven inch sized ledger. Its corners slightly frayed, the black cover and maroon spine were also showing their age from its constant handling. Opening the book directly to the page containing Takayama's information, Kazumi, while never actually letting go of it, reluctantly placed it on the desk for him to examine.

"Hmmm, interesting," Takayama remarked, seeming quite satisfied after only a quick perusal. "Thanks, Fujiwara-san. See you tomorrow."

"W… Wait a minute!" she anxiously called after him as he started to leave, seeming quite perplexed. "Is that it?"

"Well, yeah. I told you I just wanted to take a quick peek at it."

"So then..." she concernedly began, "you, you won't say anything about…"

"Hey, I got what I came for," he contentedly proclaimed. Now standing in the doorway, Takayama simply couldn't resist the urge as he turned back toward her and mischievously added, "But, if there's anything else that I happen to need, I'll be sure and let you know."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she aggravatingly called after him as he proceeded to leave, not too satisfied with his rather vague and smart-alecky response. "I swear to god if you so much as breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll kill you!"

As the door closed behind him, Takayama shook his head in amusement as he could still hear the rather vocal warnings from an irritated Kazumi coming from within.

"You hear me? I'll kill you!"

Heading up the street, Takayama paused momentarily as he waited for a traffic light to change. Leaning up against the pole, his impish expression from before suddenly became quite solemn. His brother on his mind, Takayama then proceeded to gaze upward as he reflected on his next course of action, silently uttering under his breath, "Nii-san, I promise that I won't cause you any more trouble. I'm putting an end to it all… tonight."

Back inside the trailer, just as she too was preparing to depart, an anxious Kazumi pulled out her cell phone. Upon dialing, she proceeded to update the individual on the other end of the line in a rather foreboding tone.

"Hello? Yeah, it's me. Listen, I think we may have a problem with Takayama-kun."

* * *

"Got you working late again I see, huh, Ryouta-san?" Takumi observed upon making his way into Okuzaki Industries central office.

Occupying two entire floors of one of downtown Shinjuku's abundant array of office buildings, the well-respected company had grown considerably since the Meiji Restoration, having played a huge role in Japan's industrialization and contributing significantly to the country's economic re-growth.

"Oh, Takumi-san," the frazzled thirty-year-old office worker startlingly greeted as he glanced up from his computer keyboard, "Good afternoon, or, is it evening? Heck, we've been pulling these all-nighters for so long that it's getting harder and harder to differentiate between night and day anymore."

"Ha-ha. Bet all of you will be glad when they finally get this merger wrapped up," Takumi reckoned, looking on at the handful of other personnel who were still diligently pounding away at their keyboards long after the close of business that day.

"You're not kidding. I've got spreadsheets coming out of my ears at this point," Ryouta commented before lamenting, "Ahh, how I miss my wife and daughter."

"Can't be separated from that family of yours, eh? Well, I can't say as I blame you though," Takumi empathized, inquiring then of his own wife, "So, is she ready yet?"

"I'm afraid not. She and her father are still locked in the office with the auditors and their accountants going through the books."

"Hmm, I was afraid of that," a somewhat dispirited Takumi sighed.

"Not exactly how you envisioned spending your summer break, huh?" Ryouta presumed.

"I'll say. And here it is, already three days into it. I mean, I knew there were going to be days when she had to work late at the office, but I didn't exactly anticipate this."

"Well, you wanted to marry the boss's daughter."

"Hey, it's not like I knew when I first laid eyes upon her that she was destined to become the CEO of one of Japan's largest conglomerates. Because had I known then what I know now…"

"Yeeeees?" Ryouta anticipated.

"I'd fall in love with her all over again," he unreservedly confessed

"Heh heh. That's what I thought. I'll let her know that you're here," Ryouta reassuringly offered, picking up the phone and dialing the office.

"She hasn't answered any of my calls or replied to my texts so they must really be overwhelmed in there," Takumi figured just as Ryouta hung up the phone's handset.

"She'll be out in a minute."

"Thank you," Takumi gratefully replied. "I sure hope that she hasn't forgotten about our dinner reservations."

"Don't worry, she hasn't," Ryouta assured. "In fact, she mentioned to me earlier about your dinner engagement with Nakajima-san and that I was to remind her about it again a few minutes before seven, even if means barging into the middle of their meeting. So obviously she doesn't want to be here any longer than she has to."

"Nor do you, I would imagine," Takumi presumed, observing the large mound of file folders on his desk.

"Oh those? I finished compiling those earlier, all ready for the auditors' perusal. Just one more to go and I'll be able to call it a night." Interrupted by the sudden ringing of his office phone, Ryouta sighed then bemoaned, "Ahh, spoke too soon. Excuse me. Hello? Accounting."

Not intending to eavesdrop, Takumi was nevertheless surprised by Ryouta's sudden change in temperament after picking up the phone.

"I thought I told you never to call me here!" he angrily expressed in a soft whisper to the party on the other end of the line, his hand cupped around the mouthpiece so as not to be overheard.

Just before stepping away from the desk to give him some privacy, Takumi couldn't help but notice Ryouta's initial expression of anger quickly turning into one of distress.

"Takumi?" Akira's voice suddenly disrupted, her head protruding out between a crack of the door of her father's office. Upon approaching her, Akira apologetically conveyed, "I'm so sorry, Takumi, but this is just running way later than I thought. Just go on ahead without me and tell Hiroki that I promise to be there as soon as possible."

"You sure? Well, alright," he reluctantly acquiesced. "Just try not to be too late. I think he has something important that he wants to tell us."

"Don't worry, we're just about ready to wrap things up so it shouldn't be that much longer."

"Ojou-sama?" one of the accountants could be heard calling for her from within.

"Be right there!" she called back to him. "Sorry, Takumi, but I really need to get back."

As the door abruptly closed in his face, Takumi's frustration was short-lived as he quickly headed back over to Ryouta, who had just concluded his call.

"Is, is everything all right?" Takumi concernedly inquired.

"Huh? Oh, ah, yes, yes of course," he answered with a bit of unease, never once making eye contact with Takumi. Instead, he nervously looked about the office until spotting one of his co-workers. "Ah, Kinjou-san?"

"Yes, Takayama-sempai?" the eager young office clerk responded.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you at this late hour, but I have something very important that I need to tend to," Ryouta pointed out as he picked up one of the folders on his desk, proceeding then to hand it to his colleague and requesting, "I just need you to finish reviewing this account before you go tonight."

"Yes, of course, sempai, that's not a problem," he graciously submitted.

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. I'll make it up to you, I promise," Ryouta assured, grabbing his suit jacket hanging from the back of his chair, appearing quite rushed."

"Are you sure everything's all right?" Takumi pleaded with him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he continued to insist. Than realizing that he hadn't properly introduced his colleague, Ryouta hastily announced, "I'm sorry, Takumi Okuzaki, this is my co-worker Junichi Kinjou."

"How do you do?" Takumi greeted, still getting used to being addressed by Akira's surname. While not too common, it's nevertheless not unusual in Japan for the groom to take the wife's name, particularly if the wife is the only surviving member of her family in her generation, or, if her family is more prestigious, wealthier or owns a company named after them.

"Anyway," Ryouta hurriedly then attempted to reassure Takumi, "some unexpected business just came up that requires my attention and it simply can't wait till tomorrow. Please excuse me."

As he rushed off toward the elevator, Takumi couldn't help but wonder what was truly troubling him.

"Well I hope that wasn't bad news," Junichi abruptly commented.

"Hope what was not bad news?"

"Why that phone call that he just received from his brother."

"How do you know that call was from his brother?" Takumi was rather curious to know.

"Oh, ahh, the receptionist transferred the call to me by mistake," he expediently explained before quickly excusing himself.

Usually never one to judge, Takumi couldn't help but eye the young office worker with a tinge of skepticism as he made his way back to his desk.

* * *

Concurrently, in another office building across town, a similar array of auditors and accountants were also busy combing through and analyzing a daunting number of ledgers and computer spreadsheet files, likewise working well past their scheduled hours. One such accountant, and recent college graduate, was currently expressing a few concerns that she had with her supervisor.

"Now I realize upon first glance that there appears to be nothing out of the ordinary," the bespectacled 22 year-old went on to describe. "Believe me, I didn't even give it a second thought when I first looked at it. But then, the next day, I got that really strange phone call that I told you about suggesting that I should take a closer look at some of the invoices from the Kobayashi account, particularly those from their steel and concrete vendors."

"And this mysterious individual that you spoke with never identified himself?" her supervisor surmised.

"W… Well no," she wavered, "but I certainly couldn't just ignore it. That's why I decided to dig a little deeper into it and do a little investigating on my own."

"Investigating?"

"Yeah. Here, take a look at this," she indicated to a spreadsheet file that was open on her laptop. "See how the amounts paid out of the account to this one particular vendor seem to fluctuate wildly from one invoice to the next."

"Yes, I see it," her supervisor somewhat impatiently acknowledged. "Isn't this the same file which you sent me earlier to look at?"

"Yes sir, it is. So don't you think it seems peculiar?"

"Well I'll admit that there's a vast variance from one invoice to the next, but that's by no means an indication of any unlawful activity."

"I, I realize that, sir, but…"

"And you're certainly not in the construction industry, so what do you really know about their day to day operations and expenses that would honestly make you think that any of this is out of the ordinary? Besides, you can clearly see on their balance sheet that this account has been reconciled at the end of each month and matches the prepaid expense schedule."

"Yes, I know," she acknowledged, yet continued to press, "But, despite all that, something still seems off. I don't know how else to explain it, sir, but it's just a feeling that I have. The whole thing just doesn't sit right with me."

"Namikawa-san," he expressed with displeasure, "I realize that you're still new in this position and I greatly admire your enthusiasm and passion to seek out the truth."

"Thank you, sir."

"But I must remind you that this job deals strictly in facts and figures, not hunches or gut feelings."

"I, I know that, but… Well," she then put forward, "what if, let's say, I were able to produce some more concrete information? I mean real, indisputable information."

"And how do you propose on obtaining this so-called earth-shattering data?"

"Well… and I probably shouldn't be telling you this," Emiko hesitated, proceeding to glance down at a post-it note on which she had earlier jotted some information, she then apprehensively went on to explain, "you see, about a half hour ago, that same person called me again and said he just obtained a ledger from Kobayashi Construction that contained… um, in his words, 'some very damning information'."

With a somewhat serious look about him, her supervisor thought for a moment while at the same time happening to catch a glimpse of the post-it note.

"So let me get this straight," he attempted to comprehend. "This so-called anonymous source that you keep going on about has some ruinous information that could possibly threaten this merger?"

"I, I didn't say that the merger would be threatened, I was merely trying to…"

"Oh honestly, Namikawa-san. Some stranger calls you up out of the blue, doesn't identify himself and then claims that there are some strange shenanigans going on down at Kobayashi Construction? Did you ever stop to think that this person could be someone from a rival firm who simply doesn't wish to see this merger go through?"

"N… No, sir. I, I didn't consider that possibility."

"Well keep in mind that there are always going to be people who might feel threatened by a merger of this magnitude. And, they may even resort to some unorthodox methods to see that it falls through. Now I've carefully gone over all the figures that you've shown me from this account and can simply find nothing off. Despite these minor fluctuations which you seem to be so fixated on, everything is in order. So I see absolutely no reason for you to waste any more of your time on this."

"But I'm sure you'll change your mind once I obtain that ledger," she assuredly stated. "If after I get it and find no credible information in it, then I promise you that I'll drop the matter."

"Hmmm," he contemplated, "So when exactly is your mystery man dropping it off, or, is he mailing it to you?"

"Actually, I'm supposed to be meeting up with him in about an hour in Shinjuku near the construction site and he's going to hand it to me personally."

"What? Absolutely not! I forbid it! It's much too dangerous. You'd be taking an awful risk by meeting up with some complete stranger."

"I... I'm aware of that, but… it just seems too important to simply dismiss. As I said, I have a very strong feeling about this. What if what he says about the information contained in that ledger is true? If there's even the slightest possibility… Oh, please, sir," she adamantly beseeched, "you must let me do this! I'm certain that once I dig a bit deeper into the matter, I'm sure that I can…"

"Namikawa-san!" he harshly admonished. "Need I remind you that you're an accountant, not an investigative reporter! Now I highly suggest that you drop this little journalistic endeavor of yours."

"But, sir!" she began to object, just as one of her co-workers approached and proceeded to place a rather thick file folder on her desk.

"Uh, here are those files that you asked for, Emiko," her tall, blonde-haired friend awkwardly announced.

"Oh ah, thank you, Hiromi," her friend apprehensively expressed.

"Sorry, hope I wasn't interrupting."

"Not to worry, Misawa-san," her boss reassured. "We were just finishing our little discussion and have finally put the matter at hand to rest. Right, Namikawa-san?"

"Uh, y… yes, sir."

"Alright then," he seemed to take pleasure in prevailing over their argument. "Now once you finish up with what you're doing, the two of you may go."

"Thank you, sir," Hiromi appreciatively replied. Waiting until he had headed back into the conference room, brimming with accountants and several high-ranking executives, Hiromi concernedly turned back to her friend and inquired, "What was that all about?"

"Oh it's this one account's financial statements," Emiko exasperatingly conveyed. "Like I just finished telling Ichimiya-san, everything looks to be in order. Well, on the surface anyway. But underneath, the more I look at it, the figures just don't add up. Something's off and I, I just can't seem to put my finger on it."

"Aw, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can…? Wait, does this by any chance have anything to do with that strange phone call you were telling me about?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. But Ichimiya-san seems to think that I'm reading too much into it and should just let it go. In fact, as you probably heard, he seemed pretty adamant about it. I don't know, maybe he's right. It's just so frustrating though."

"Gee, I really wish I could help you," Hiromi helplessly expressed, "but unfortunately my hands are tied."

"Yeah, I know; it's not your fault. Still, I'm willing to bet that you would have had this figured out a long time ago."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

"You're too modest, Hiromi. You've always been good at spotting the tiniest of discrepancies. I really think it's a shame that you can't work on any of the financials for this job, getting stuck instead with all the grunt work."

"Oh, I don't mind really. Besides, you know as well as I do that it would be a conflict of interest if I were to work on this account."

"And all because the son of Nakajima Enterprises' president is a personal friend of yours," Emiko sighed in exasperation. "Still, I really don't see what harm it could do if you were to just give me your opinion on this one little matter. I mean it's not like I'm asking you to do an audit on the account. I just want to get your take on it, that's all."

"I know, but, it's still kind of a gray area," Hiromi seemed to express with uncertainty.

"Well then, just make sure you don't get caught," a familiar male voice came from behind.

"Uh, Na… Nakajima-san," Emiko was startled to see the company president's son. Jumping up out of her chair, she immediately began to bow apologetically before him. "Forgive me. I, I didn't mean to imply that Hiromi… er, Misawa-san do anything unethical. I was merely…"

"Hey, hey, relax, I was just kidding," Hiroki endeavored to put the frazzled girl's mind at ease as he then struggled to recall her name, "Uh, Namikawa-san was it?"

Relieved upon receiving an affirming nod from Hiromi, Hiroki quickly redirected the topic of conversation, casually mentioning, "So, Hiromi tells me that the two of you attended the same university together."

"Y… Yes, that's right," a still somewhat nervous Emiko replied.

"In fact," Hiromi began to disclose, "we got to be such good friends that we even wound up applying to the same accounting firm after graduation."

"Wow, sounds like you two really have a lot in common," Hiroki observed.

"Well, almost," a now more at ease Emiko responded. "Hiromi at least has had better luck in the boyfriend department compared to me."

"Ahem! Boyfriend-slash-future husband," Hiromi was quick to correct, indicating to the engagement ring on her left hand.

With a heavy sigh, a slightly envious sounding Emiko conceded, "I stand corrected."

"Aw, don't be like that. I keep telling her that she'll meet the right guy someday," Hiromi relayed to Hiroki.

"Speaking of whom," Hiroki then inquired. "How is that brilliant up and coming architect of yours doing?"

"Couldn't be better. Although he'll be out of town visiting his folks for the next few days, this past week he got an offer from Nikken Sekkei, the biggest architectural firm in all of Japan."

"Hiromi, that's awesome!"

"I know, right? They really liked his designs and want him to finish out his internship with them while he goes for his masters. But you know what? He turned them down."

"Really?"

"Yup. You see he's actually pretty happy where he's at right now and feels that his greatest advantage in working for a smaller company is his ability to make decisions. Plus, there's a lot less bureaucracy and it has more of a warm, family feel to it as opposed to the cold, corporate setting that a larger firm would provide."

"You mean a firm like this one?" Hiroki facetiously added.

"Well, present company excluded, of course," Hiromi quickly amended.

"Oh, of course, of course," he lightheartedly appreciated. "But hey, I can understand where he's coming from."

With several people now starting to file out of the conference room, one particularly smart-dressed individual came up to Hiroki and casually remarked, "Didn't think that meeting would ever let out. Say, how'd you manage to slip out before me?"

"The art of stealth, my friend," Hiroki lightheartedly informed the rather attractive young executive. "Oh, ahh, sorry, I don't believe you've met. Kanzaki-san, these two young ladies are both with Yamashita Accounting."

"Yes, I've certainly been aware of their presence these past few days but I haven't had the pleasure of being properly introduced."

"Well then, we'll just have to remedy that," Hiroki stated. "Masayuki Kanzaki, allow me to introduce Hiromi Misawa and Emiko Namikawa."

"How do you do?" Masayuki greeted.

"Kanzaki-san is our executive account manager here."

"Yes, and if there's anything that you two might need to help assist in your audit," he courteously put forth, "my door is always open."

"Thank you, we appreciate that," Hiromi gratefully replied before suddenly observing their boss approaching. "Oh, Ichimiya-san."

"I thought the two of you had left already," their boss surmised.

"Well, they're obviously very dedicated young workers," Masayuki concluded. "Make sure you treat them well, Ichimiya-san."

"Um, yes, yes, of course."

"Now don't forget," Masayuki once again reminded, "my office is right downstairs on the eighth floor at the end of the hall, so if you have any questions..."

"Um, actually," Emiko nervously began, "there is an account that I've been having some issues with."

"Why certainly," he graciously offered. "Come see me first thing tomorrow morning and I'll try and answer any questions that you might have."

"Th… Thank you."

"Uh, what account, by the way?"

Anxiously glancing over at her boss, Emiko hesitantly replied, "Oh, the uh, Kobayashi account."

"Namikawa-san! I thought we had settled this!" her boss severely chided, turning then to Masayuki and bowing apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir, but I had already gone over this with her and I certainly don't wish for her to trouble you with it."

"Oh nonsense," Masayuki countered. "It's no trouble at all. If the young lady has questions then I'll certainly try and answer them. I really don't see what the big deal is. After all, it's not like we have anything to hide."

"Um, yes, sir," Ichimiya timidly submitted.

"Well, it was certainly nice meeting the two of you," Masayuki then declared, seeming to take particular notice of Emiko. "Have a good night."

Followed closely behind by Ichimiya, Hiroki waited until the two were in the elevator before cynically remarking, "I don't think I liked the way he talked to you, Namikawa-san. I mean, honestly, you're simply trying to do your job."

"Oh, ah, don't worry about it, really," she tried to blow the matter off.

Seeming more interested in Masayuki as opposed to their boss, a rather intrigued Hiromi couldn't help but remark, "Did you see the way that he looked at you, Emiko? I think he likes you."

"Who? Kanzaki-san? Oh, Hiromi, don't be ridiculous. What makes you say that anyway?"

"Well, you heard him. His office is downstairs and yet I know I've seen him walk by your desk several times these past few days."

"So? That hardly means that he likes me," Emiko countered.

"No? Well considering where his office is located, he sure seems to take a roundabout way of getting there every day. If you ask me, I think it's because he likes the scenery better."

"Oh, Hiromi, stop."

"It's true!" Hiromi assured. "Don't you think so too, Hiroki?"

"Huh?" a rather oblivious Hiroki responded.

"Well, you're a guy. If you saw a girl that you liked where you worked, wouldn't you go out of your way to try and get her to notice you?"

"Uh, well I, that is, s… sure. I guess," he expressed with uncertainty. "Of course if I did that, Izumi would probably kill me."

"Well obviously. I'm just speaking hypothetically of course."

"Would you like me to talk to him for you?" Hiroki then offered. "You know, kind of feel him out to see if he's interested in…"

"No!" Emiko adamantly objected, "Oh god, please don't do that. I mean, I appreciate it and all, but…"

"Oh, Emiko, you've got to be more assertive, "Hiromi pointed out. "Hey, you know what? I think you should be the one to make the first move."

"What? Oh, Hiromi, I could never do that," Emiko contended. "Besides, don't you think that might come across as being a bit too forward, or even desperate?"

"Not at all. In fact, guys really go for that. Right, Hiroki?"

"Uh, r… right," Hiroki awkwardly responded.

"Oh, you're no help," Hiromi said in jest.

"Hey, as I recall, I originally just stopped by to see how you two were doing before I left. I didn't expect this to turn into a conversation on how to meet a guy in five easy steps."

"Five?" Emiko expressed with intrigue.

"Hmmm, care to enlighten us on what those five steps are, Hiroki?" a rather fascinated Hiromi inquisitively requested.

"Oh brother," Hiroki said rolling his eyes. Then thinking for a moment, he playfully revealed to them, "Well, if you really want to know, the first step is…"

"Yes? Yes?" the two both anxiously anticipated.

"… never discuss steps two through five with the opposite sex," he stated with great satisfaction. "Goodnight, ladies."

"Oh, come back here you big coward," Hiromi called after him.

"Seriously, I really do need to go," Hiroki stressed. "I'm meeting up with Takumi and Akira for dinner."

"Oh, how nice," Hiromi was happy to hear. "Then of course we won't keep you. What restaurant, by the way?"

"The New York Grill at the Park Hyatt."

"Ooo, fancy. So it's a business meeting, I take it?"

"Uh, not exactly. But there is ahh… something really important I need to discuss with them," he apprehensively disclosed.

"Oh?" a considerably intrigued Hiromi reacted, proceeding to press, "Something or… 'someone' important?"

"Uhh…"

"Mmm hmmm. That's what I thought. Don't worry, I won't say anything."

"Say anything? But, I haven't even told you anything."

"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face."

"I… It is? I mean, what is?"

"Well, we are talking about Izumi, right?" Hiromi surmised, seeming to enjoy the bewildered look on Hiroki's face.

"Hiromi, h… how on earth do you do that?"

"Woman's intuition. Now go on, I don't want you to be late."

"Uh, r… right," he slowly retorted, still somewhat perplexed as he began to make his way toward the elevator.

"Goodnight, sir," Emiko called after him before turning back to her friend and inquiring, "Hiromi, do you really think he's planning on proposing to his girlfriend?"

"Well I certainly hope so. After all, I think he's made her wait long enough. Besides, it was really no secret that he had plans on asking her sometime after graduation; it was mainly just a matter of when. On top of which, most of his friends are now married: first Takumi and Akira, then Hajime and Kyoko just last year. And of course when he heard that Wataru had proposed to me a few weeks back, well, I'm sure that was probably just the kind of nudge that he needed."

"Say, what's she like anyway?" Emiko wondered. "His girlfriend… uh, Izumi-san was it?"

"Oh, you would love her. She's so much fun to be with," Hiromi enthusiastically described. "In fact… Hey, I just had a thought! You don't have any plans for tonight, right?"

"Uh, no, not really," Emiko replied with a slight hint of uncertainty.

"Great, then I'm going to give her a call," Hiromi eagerly avowed as she pulled out her cell phone."

"Huh? Give who a call?"

"Why Izumi of course," Hiromi stated, the phone now held up to her ear. "We're going to have a good old-fashioned girls' night out."

"W… We are?"

"Yup! We are! Besides, it's been far too long since we last… Hello? Izumi? Yeah, yeah, it's me. Oh, it's so good to hear your voice again. How long's it been? I know, right? Say listen, what are you doing tonight?"

Upon ending the call after reminiscing for a few more moments, Hiromi enthusiastically proclaimed, "Harajuku here we come!"

"Oh, is that where we're going? Sounds like it could be fun."

"What do you mean could be? It's just going to be us girls, so we're going to have a blast! So come on and let's get out of here. Izumi said she would meet us at the entrance of the Harajuku station at seven thirty."

"Seven thirty?" Emiko thought for a moment, quietly uttering under her breath, "Hmm, I guess that should give me enough time."

"Enough time for what? Wait, don't tell me you have someplace else to be tonight?" Hiromi questioned.

"Huh? Oh, no, no. I just need to pick up a few, uh, files over at Kobayashi Construction first," she cryptically explained.

"Kobayashi Construction? Tonight?"

"Don't worry, it shouldn't take too long," Emiko assured. "If I leave now I should make it in plenty of time. After all, the Shinjuku station is only two stops over from Harajuku."

"Yeah I know, but, can't this wait until tomorrow? Besides, I'm sure they've probably all gone home by now."

"It's uh, actually kind of important really. Look, all I'm going to do is meet up with someone over by the construction site, get the files from him and then go."

"Geez, you're really hung up on this Kobayashi account, aren't you? Well, alright then," Hiromi acquiesced. "Just be careful then. That place isn't exactly in the best part of town. Plus it'll be pretty dark out."

"Thanks, Hiromi. And don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Say I wonder why Ichimiya-san snapped at you like that earlier? You know, when you brought up the account to Kanzaki-san?"

"Oh, ahh," Emiko wavered, thinking it best not to worry her friend about her little clandestine meeting, "he just thinks that the whole thing is a big waste of time and that I shouldn't be troubling Kanzaki-san with such trivial matters. But I just want to check all possible leads to make absolutely certain that this account is on the up and up."

"Wow, listen to you," Hiromi said in amazement. "Check all possible leads. You sound just like an investigative reporter."

"Huh, that's funny. Ichimiya-san said the same thing. Just, not as a compliment though."

"Well, I've always said that you were a stickler for details."

"Um, Hiromi?" Emiko expressed with a bit of uncertainty. "Do, do you think that I'm just wasting my time on this?"

"What? Now don't tell me that you're starting to second-guess yourself?"

"I'm serious."

"Hmmm," Hiromi pondered for a moment. "Well, aside from the fact that our boss told you to just drop the entire matter, what does your gut tell you?"

Recognizing the point that her friend was trying to make, Emiko smiled and resolutely stated, "To not give up and to keep on digging."

"Well then, I think you have your answer."

"Thanks, Hiromi," a somewhat relieved Emiko graciously replied.

* * *

"Oh, hey, Takumi," a somewhat anxious sounding Hiroki greeted, "Thanks for meeting me here on such short notice."

"No problem," Takumi expressed as he entered the lavish dining establishment high atop Tokyo's Park Hyatt hotel. "Wow, what a view!"

Overlooking the cityscape of one of Tokyo's three main business districts, Takumi was mesmerized by the staggering view from fifty-two stories up, provided by the towering floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" Hiroki opined as he restlessly then proceeded to scan the room. "Uh, where's Akira?"

"Don't worry, she should be here pretty soon," he assured. "She just needed to finish going over a few things with the auditors and accountants."

"Oh, yeah, yeah, of course," he hastily retorted as Takumi proceeded to take a seat across from him, still quite awestruck by the astonishing view. "Oh, ah, feel free to order anything you like. I should tell you, the steaks here are phenomenal."

"Thanks, but I think I'll just wait until Akira gets here. You know, I don't mind telling you, but I'll be glad when this whole merger business is over with. It seems to have everyone on edge lately," Takumi happened to mention while observing Hiroki's rather fidgety demeanor. "Including you!"

"Huh? Oh, ah, sorry," he distractingly uttered. "But I guess you're probably right though. I suppose this merger has attributed to my being out of sorts lately."

"Well, clearly."

"Among other things," Hiroki then murmured under his breath.

"Oh?" Takumi said with intrigue. "And what other things might that be?"

"Well ahh..." Hiroki hesitantly began. "I was really kind of hoping to talk to the both of you about this, but…"

"You're bursting at the seams and just can't wait any longer to tell somebody," Takumi managed to discern from the obvious telltale signs that he had been exhibiting.

Nervously reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, velvet-lined box, Hiroki proceeded to set it down on the table before Takumi. Revealing a most stunning, eye-popping three carat diamond ring upon opening it, Takumi looked across at him, seeming somewhat taken aback before lightheartedly remarking, "Why, Hiroki, this is so sudden. I'm flattered, really. But you know perfectly well that I'm married."

"Come on, Takumi, I'm being serious," he anxiously stated. "You… you think Izumi will like it?"

"Hiroki," Takumi smilingly reassured his overzealous friend, "I seriously doubt that Izumi would care if that ring came from Tiffany's or a 100 yen vending machine."

"So then…" he nervously presumed, "you think she'll say yes?"

"Ha-ha," he laughingly assured. "I've no doubt whatsoever."

Breathing a huge sigh of relief, an alleviated Hiroki expressed, "Oh, thank goodness."

"Come on, Hiroki, do you honestly think that the size of that stone is what she's concerned about? All she really wants is to hear those four magical words come out of your mouth: Will you marry me?"

"Uh, I could come back later if the two of you need some privacy," an all too familiar voice came from behind.

"Akira!" a startled Hiroki reacted.

"Oh darn it, you found us out," Takumi humorously quipped as he got up and greeted his significant other with a quick peck on the cheek. "Glad you could make it."

"I apologize for the lateness, but… Oh, thank you," she graciously acknowledged as Takumi proceeded to pull a chair out for her. "But it couldn't be helped. The auditors were insistent on finishing their review of all the accounts on…" Suddenly catching a glimpse of the magnificent jewel as she sat down, which was now the centerpiece of the table, Akira immediately surmised its true recipient and extolled, "Well, well, congratulations."

"Uh, thank you."

"Izumi's going to be so thrilled. It sure took you long enough though. So, when do you plan on asking her?"

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you two about."

"Well, we'll certainly do what we can to help," Takumi offered just as their waiter came over to take their order.

"You need a few minutes to look over the menu, Akira?" Hiroki inquired.

"No, no, I think I'm rea…"

"Try the steak tar tar," Hiroki abruptly interrupted. "It's off the menu but it's to die for. I know the chef personally and he'd be happy to…"

"Uh, no, that's okay, but thank you," she replied, observing that Hiroki seemed a bit high-strung before turning to the waiter and requesting, "I'll have the beef tenderloin, medium well, and a bottle of your finest nigori sake, please."

"Certainly, ojou-sama," the waiter courteously replied

"Oh, and could you also bring a Suntory, on the rocks?"

"Akira," a quite taken aback Hiroki reacted. "Since when did you start drinking whisky?"

"Idiot, it's not for me, it's for you."

"For me?"

Not even attempting to refute her suggestion, an amused Takumi offered, "You know, ordinarily I wouldn't advocate the use of alcohol to help settle one's nerves. But in this case…"

"Okay, okay, point taken," Hiroki reluctantly conceded.

* * *

"So at first I was thinking the Eiffel Tower or maybe even the top of the Empire State Building," a keyed-up Hiroki put forward, rambling on at a mile a minute all the while hovering his chopsticks over a neglected cut of Sendai beef. "But then I thought: Izumi might get a bit suspicious, you know? I mean, aside from being out of the country, both those landmarks are pretty popular romantic spots for people to propose, right? So then I figured I should try and keep it local. Hey, what do you guys think about Tokyo Tower? Or maybe even Himeji Castle?"

Pausing long enough to finally savor a piece of the premiere beef while he anxiously anticipated a response, Akira, pretending to ignore him, instead looked over at Takumi and inquired, "How's your salmon, Takumi?"

"Delicious! Very moist and tender."

"That's probably due to the 'slow' roasting process." Akira reckoned, emphasizing the adjective while shooting a glance over at Hiroki.

"Huh?" he cluelessly responded. "Uh, did, did you guys hear what I said?"

"Hmm, I knew I should have ordered him a double," Akira conveyed to Takumi, eyeing Hiroki's drink.

"Oh, come on, Akira, leave him alone. He's just a little excited, that's all."

"A little?"

"Sorry, guys. Guess I have been rather talkative this evening, huh?" Hiroki finally realized. "I didn't mean to monopolize the conversation, it's just that… I really want this proposal to be special, you know? Something that Izumi will never forget."

"And she won't, I can guarantee you that," Takumi assured.

"Why of course," Akira upheld, fondly then recalling, "I mean, I could certainly never forget the night that Takumi proposed to me. It's just one of those magical moments in your life that will always hold a special place in your heart."

"Akira," Takumi affectionately expressed.

"See, that's what I'm talking about," Hiroki reemphasized. "That's exactly the type of lasting impression that I want Izumi to have. But… how do I go about doing that?"

Taking another bite of his steak first, Hiroki then anxiously reached for his glass and abruptly downed the remainder of his whisky, motioning to the waiter immediately thereafter to bring him another.

"Hmph, reminds me of you the night that you proposed," Akira recollected, looking to Takumi. "As I recall, you were a nervous wreck too."

"You… You were?" Hiroki was surprised to hear.

"Oh now I wouldn't say that," Takumi casually denied. "Of course, I guess that depends on your definition of nervous. Do you mean the kind of nervous that causes one to sweat profusely in the moments leading up to a date? Or, do you mean the kind that causes someone to blather incoherently, like when laying eyes on an attractive young girl all decked out in a hot, red strapless dress?"

"All of the above."

"Hmmm," Takumi pondered, turning then to Hiroki as he lightheartedly confessed, "Well, looks like she's got me there."

Managing to garner a smile just as the waiter brought him his second drink, Hiroki graciously acknowledged, "Thanks, you guys. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but…" Reaching for his glass and taking a rather substantial swig from it first, a still somewhat flustered Hiroki posed, "I still haven't the faintest idea of what I'm going to do?"

"Well first of all," Takumi suggested, "how about taking it easy on the whisky?"

"Huh? Oh, right," he then recognized after having subconsciously brought the glass up to his lips yet again.

"Jeez, Hiroki, would you stop freaking out," Akira implored. "You're overthinking this whole thing. Just take Izumi to some quaint romantic spot and propose to her there."

"Akira's right. There's no need to travel clear across the globe to some renowned historic landmark."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Hey, why not bring her here?" Takumi suggested.

"Here?"

"Why certainly. It's got just the right ambiance, the food is awesome and…" Making a sweeping motion with his arm toward the window, Takumi highlighted, "that view. Why that million dollar view alone will surely serve to create the proper mood, leading up to a night that she'll never forget."

"You… you really thing so?"

"I know so. It's like I was trying to tell you before, the location, as with the size of the diamond on that ring, is inconsequential," Takumi submitted. "You can choose to spend thousands of yen on this whirlwind proposal, but really, in the end, it still all comes back down to that one fundamental aspect."

"Her love for you," Akira enlightened.

"Exactly. Hiroki, do you honestly think that if I had proposed to Akira anyplace else other than that sailing ship in Philadelphia, her answer would have been any different?"

"No, I suppose not."

"I don't know, Takumi," Akira seemed to feign uncertainty, "I mean, I kind of liked that whole nautical setting," she fondly reminisced of when Takumi proposed to her in the ship's restaurant. "That picturesque view of the Delaware River, the gorgeous sunset off in the background, and, pretty much the entire atmosphere on that ship was just absolutely perfect. Anyplace else and… well, I don't even like to think about what my response might have been."

"Wait, so then…" Hiroki attempted to comprehend. "Akira, are you saying that you would have turned Takumi down had he not…?"

"Hiroki," a not too amused Takumi sighed, "I'm pretty certain that she's being facetious."

"Huh? Oh, right."

"At least," Takumi presumed, "I sure hope she is."

Raising her glass, Akira cast a mischievous glance over at Takumi as she brought it up to her lips, seeming to savor the moment in addition to her sake.

"I think now might be a good time to mention," Takumi forewarned, "that having a good sense of humor is fundamental in a successful marriage."

"So I've gathered," Hiroki was able appreciate, determinedly then declaring, "Alright then, it's settled. I'm going to propose to Izumi right here."

"Finally," Akira was relieved to hear.

"Take my word for it, my friend, "Takumi assured, "Izumi will absolutely flip."

"Yeah, she will at that," Akira couldn't refute.

"The only thing is," he vexingly stated, "she's bound to suspect something when I bring her here. When she asks what the occasion is, I know I'm bound to stumble over my words. On top of which, I've got a terrible poker face."

"That's for sure," Akira was quick to agree. "But you're right, she'll definitely get suspicious. It's pretty hard to put anything over on her."

"Well then," Takumi started to suggest, "why not just make it a double date?"

"What, you mean the four us?" Akira confusingly questioned.

"Of course."

"Uh, no offense, Takumi," an equally puzzled Hiroki remarked, "but I'd kind of like to be alone with her when I pop the question."

"And you will be. After the four of us have dinner, Akira and I will excuse ourselves; saying that we have tickets for a movie, and won't be able to stick around for dessert. That's when you make your move."

"Hmmm," an intrigued Hiroki began to ponder.

"Izumi will just think of it all as a night out with her friends. Trust me, she'll never suspect a thing; her guard will be completely down."

Nodding in accord at his rather sound reasoning, Akira complimented, "Gotta admit, Takumi, that actually sounds like a pretty good plan."

"Good? Why it's brilliant!" Hiroki ecstatically praised, feeling a huge sense of relief. "Wow, that's certainly a load off my mind."

"Say, uh, Takumi?" Akira began to wonder. "You say that we're going to tell Izumi that we have tickets for a movie as an excuse to leave early?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Well, what if she decides that she wants to join us? I mean, you know how persuasive she can be."

"Not a problem," he nonchalantly went on to explain. "If that's the case then I'll just have to tell her where we're really going. Discreetly, of course."

"Discreetly?" Hiroki quizzically reacted. "Why, where are you planning on…?"

Leaning slightly forward across the table, after motioning with his finger for Hiroki to do the same, Takumi, his hand cupped around his mouth, proceeded then to whisper his true destination in Hiroki's ear.

"Ohhhh," a most intrigued Hiroki reacted with raised eyebrows, shrewdly complimenting, "Heh, heh, you sly dog," as he sat back in his chair.

"Oh brother," Akira annoyingly conveyed with rolled eyes. "You know you two are about as subtle as a train wreck."

"Why, whatever do you mean, Akira?" Takumi feigned ignorance.

"Please. Don't think I don't know what's going through that perverted mind of yours," knowing full well that a visit to a love hotel was his true intent before cunningly adding, "However, for Izumi's sake, I'm willing to play along."

"Always good to know that I can count on you, Akira," Takumi deviously said with a wink.

"You guys are something else," an amused Hiroki commented before taking another sip of his whisky.

"So, when do you plan on popping the question?" Takumi anxiously anticipated.

"Oh, well not until after the merger, of course."

"After the merger?" Akira expressed in astonishment, quick to point out, "Uh, Hiroki, you do realize that that could take awhile."

"Oh what are you talking about? My people tell me that if all goes well this could all be wrapped up within two weeks."

"Yeah, ' _if_ '' all goes well," Akira emphasized. "But you don't know what this current audit will turn up. And you know as well as I do that any little discrepancy that they come across could drag out this whole process. Maybe for months."

"Akira's right," Takumi concurred. "And it's not really fair to Izumi to make her wait this long."

"I, I know that. It's just… Look, things are just kind of hectic right now. Aside from the merger there's also graduate school to contend with. I just don't want there to be any distractions, that's all. I want to be able to give Izumi my complete, undivided attention when I propose."

As the young couple looked concernedly on at each other, Takumi sighed and turned to Hiroki, cautiously advising, "Alright, but just don't make her wait too long."

* * *

Despite its sordid reputation with its many strip clubs, love hotels, and host and hostess clubs dotting the landscape, Kabukicho posed little risk to the unaccompanied traveler. The bright lights and sheer volume of people in the area alone, plus the presence of an abundance of security cameras, reasonably assured that crime was at least confined to within the walls of these establishments.

While prominently visible from high atop Kobayashi Construction's current project, the glow emanating from Kabukicho's entertainment district was practically nonexistent from the ground below.

Vigilantly scanning the now vacant and rather faintly lit construction site, Emiko also made sure to continuously check her cell phone for any possible texts from her mysterious caller.

"H… Hello? Is, is anybody here?" she apprehensively called out as she came from around the side of the construction trailer, only to be startled by a familiar sounding voice in the form of a harsh whisper.

"Namikawa-san!"

"Ichimiya-san? Sir, wha… what are you doing here?" she too put forth in a hushed manner so as not to draw too much attention.

"I should be asking you that since I expressly forbid you from coming here."

"Look, I'm sorry, but I…"

"Oh, never mind, never mind,|" he hastily dismissed. Cautiously then looking about the area, he warned, "Look, I really don't think that it's a good idea for you to be here right now."

"I, I don't understand."

"You see, the truth is, ever since you pointed out those discrepancies to me, I've started having some doubts myself about this account. And, well," he was forced to admit, "there's a possibility that you might actually be on to something."

"Really?" she seemed pretty happy to hear.

"Now don't get too excited," he advised. "Because if in fact there truly is more to those huge variances contained in their billing invoices, then I'm afraid that a little bit of creative accounting is the least of our worries."

"Wh… What do you mean? Are you saying that there might actually be some criminal activity going on?"

"I'm saying that you may be in way over your head on this," he cautioned. "Look, I hope to god that I'm wrong about this, but just to be safe, I want you to let me handle this."

"But, sir..."

"Namikawa-san, please don't argue with me. Besides, I told you before that meeting up with a complete stranger, especially in this type of setting, is sketchy at best."

"Y… Yeah, I know," she reluctantly acknowledged. "So then, what exactly are you planning on doing?"

"Why I'm going to meet up with your so-called informant, of course."

"But, he's expecting me, not you," she reminded him. "Plus he told me to come alone."

"You let me worry about that. Besides, if he's so anxious to get this earth-shattering information out there, then he shouldn't have any qualms about passing it on to me instead."

"I, I suppose."

"Now please," he implored, "go home, and let me take care of this."

With a heavy sigh, a discouraged Emiko unenthusiastically conceded, "Alright, I'll go."

"Thank you," Ichimiya was relieved to hear, proceeding to then caution as a somewhat downtrodden Emiko began to depart, "Oh, and do be careful on your way going home."

"I will," Emiko replied in an annoying huff while rolling her eyes.

Waiting until she had safely reached the sidewalk, Ichimiya once again looked about the area before slowly proceeding to advance further into the site. Despite the small array of lights, which was focused mainly on the construction trailer, supplies and equipment, the remainder of the site was virtually cast in shadows.

As he now made his way toward the construction elevator, a shadowy figure stepped out from alongside of it and warned, "That's far enough. Something I can do for you, stranger?"

"You supposedly have some information for me," Ichimiya presumed, unable to make out more than a silhouette of his face due to the lack of lighting.

"Oh? And what kind of information might that be?"

"A ledger, if I'm not mistaken."

"Hmmm."

"What is it?"

"Sorry, guess I'm just a little disappointed, that's all. You see you don't exactly look as cute as you sounded on the phone… Namikawa-san."

Annoyed by his feeble attempt at humor, Ichimiya enlightened, "That's because I'm her supervisor. I came in her place instead."

"I see. Then who was it that I saw you speaking with a minute ago?"

"That's not important. Look, do you or do you not have the ledger?"

"Whoa, not so fast there, my friend. How do I know I can trust you?"

"Look… friend," Ichimiya said in annoyance, "I'm a senior audit manager over at Yamashita Accounting and I have better things that I could be doing with my time instead of wasting it arguing with you. Now if you have some kind of information that will help assist us in our audit, I suggest you hand it over."

"H… Hey, hold on now," the stranger nervously cautioned as Ichimiya slowly began to approach him. "Stay, stay back. I never said that I would give you…"

Now coming face to face with a young Takayama, Ichimiya was rather intrigued as he observed, "Hmph, why you're just a boy. How the hell did the likes of you manage to get mixed up in this racket? Somebody else send you here?"

"No… Nobody sent me. I came on my own."

"Well then, that should make this easy." Discerning that he was concealing something behind his back, Ichimiya then inquired, "So, is that it?"

"Ye… Yeah," Takayama apprehensively replied.

"Good. Then let's get this over with," Ichimiya insisted as his arm began to reach out for the ledger.

"Just, just wait a minute," Takayama expressed with unease as he gradually began to back away from him. "I, I need to think about this first."

"There's nothing to think about," Ichimiya asserted as he now had him backed up against the side of the building.

"Keep back!" Takayama firmly demanded

"Listen to me," Ichimiya persisted. "If what you told Namikawa-san is true, then you need to do the right thing and turn that ledger over to me so that I can expose these so-called underhanded dealings, whatever they might be."

"I… I'm warning you. Stay back!"

* * *

"There it is, Izumi," Hiromi pointed out to her friend, indicating to the partially completed structure directly across from where they were standing. "But, I don't see Emiko around anywhere."

"Maybe you should try calling or texting her," Izumi suggested.

Upon crossing the street, Hiromi proceeded to take out her cell phone just as an extremely frustrated Emiko began to emerge from alongside the construction trailer, muttering under her breath, "Can't believe that he treats me like a child."

"Emiko?" Hiromi was relieved to see. "Oh thank goodness."

"Hiromi, what are you doing here? I thought we agreed to meet up at the Harajuku station?"

"Yeah, I know, but then I figured… Oh, I almost forgot. Emiko, this is my friend that I was telling you about: Izumi Sakamoto."

"Uh, pleased to meet you, Sakamoto-san," Emiko hastily greeted before readdressing her friend, sounding somewhat annoyed, "Hiromi, you didn't have to make an extra trip over here."

"She was just worried about you coming over to a place like this all by yourself," Izumi revealed. "And from the looks of this area, I don't blame her."

Failing to comprehend their sense of concern, an exasperated Emiko snapped, "Geez, why is everyone always so worried about me?"

"Emiko, is everything alright?" Hiromi apprehensively inquired. "Didn't you get the files that you came for?"

"I… I'd rather not talk about it," she dishearteningly replied.

"Okay," Hiromi then insisted, "we're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."

Before she had a chance to explain, the distinct sound of a single gunshot appeared to emanate from within the construction site.

Her eyes bursting open, a startled Izumi fearfully expressed, "Hey, was that a…?

"Sure sounded like it," Hiromi concurred. "We'd better get out of here. Uh, Emiko, come on! What are you doing?"

Appearing in a state of panic and despair, a terrified Emiko put a hand up to her mouth as she shook her head in disbelief, uttering, "No. No it can't be. Ichimiya-san…"

"Ichimiya-san? Wait, you mean he's here?" a confused Hiromi questioned. "Emiko, take it easy and just tell me what… Uh, hey! Emiko, wait! Where are you going?"

Abruptly running off, heading back into the construction site, Emiko froze when she reached the far end of the construction trailer. Approximately fifty feet from where she now stood, she was able to make out the silhouette of a body lying just alongside the construction elevator. Dropping to her knees in horror, she began to sob uncontrollably just as Hiromi and Izumi managed to catch up with her.

Embracing her friend in an attempt to console her, Hiromi too was now aghast when she caught a glimpse of the body from over Emiko's shoulder. "Oh my god, is that…?"

"This is all my fault," Emiko remorsefully cried. "If I hadn't told him about this meeting in the first place, this would never have happened."

"What?" Hiromi was stunned to hear. "Oh come on, Emiko, there's no way that you could have possibly known…"

"We have to help him," Izumi abruptly announced.

"Huh?"

With a serious expression in her eyes, which remained fixated on the motionless figure, Izumi pointed out, "There's a chance he might still be alive. You two call for an ambulance; I'm going to try and help him."

"Wait, what? Izumi!" Hiromi called after her, attempting to dissuade her. "We don't know if the killer might still be around!"

Failing to heed her friend's warning, Izumi rushed over to Ichimiya's lifeless body. Kneeling down alongside him, she took a hold of his wrist, endeavoring to find a pulse.

"It's no use," a low-pitched voice came from behind. "There's nothing you can do for him. He's dead."

Remaining motionless, a frightened Izumi managed to remain composed as she calmly then asked, "Did, did you kill him?"

"No. It was somebody else," he insisted as he nervously proceeded to look about the darkened site. Observing that Izumi was then slowly beginning to rotate her head, he sternly warned, "Don't turn around!"

"Uh, o... okay," she nervously complied.

"Don't worry, Namikawa-san, I'm not going to hurt you," he assured.

"Namika… Oh, but I'm not…"

"Now listen carefully, because I don't have much time."

Observing from afar as the mysterious figure now began to crouch down behind Izumi, appearing to whisper something in her ear, a panic-stricken Emiko looked to Hiromi, who had just gotten off of her cell phone with the police. "Hiromi, what are we going to do?"

"Emiko, you have to be quieter or he's liable to hear you," Hiromi warned in a whisper. "Look, all we can do right now is stay out of site and wait for the police."

"But…"

"I know," Hiromi weakly replied.

Once again taking out her cell phone, Hiromi proceeded to pull up Hiroki's cell number in her contact list and just stared at it intently for a moment.

Looking at it over her shoulder, Emiko inquired, "Is that… Nakajima-san's…?"

Hiromi simply nodded.

"Wha… What are you going to do?"

"Hope to god that I don't have to make this call," Hiromi helplessly yearned.


End file.
